Trait
by MayanoHime
Summary: He is the last Uchiha. Konoha can't afford to loose the Village's most powerful Kekke Genkai. Desperate, they had chosen her to retrieve his seed, only to find an enemy more powerful than the Uchiha himself. Sasusaku, minor Naruhina.
1. The most adequate candidate

Hi guys! I am happy to be back finally! Anyways, for those who read my other story named Trait too, well, just to let you know that is basically the same storyline than the other one, but the problem is that my account got hacked and I cannot access anymore… T-T

So I decided to create a new one and keep up my work. I had some changes and I am looking forward to your reviews! If you see any mistakes please let me know! English is not my fist language so, I appreciate it. I will be looking for a Beta pretty soon if anyone would like to help .

This chapter is packed with a small Lemon already, so BEWARE the smutness.

Of course I don't own anything but my twisted ideas. ENJOY!

"**The most adequate candidate"**

The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating…and completely deliberate. Tension had already started to accumulate and leave a rather dry taste into the inhabitant's mouths as they breathed. Long minutes had passed since the question had been asked and they waited silently for an answer from the main seat in the room. They knew that every decision had to be heard by her and therefore, was open to discussion; possible to change if encountered good standing arguments, of course. But she knew better. It was all a lie. She wasn't really the one to take decisions. She never was. She was merely the face of their disgusting bureaucracy; the one to blame, and as her self-consciousness dragged her thoughts aside from the matter at hand, she managed a bitter smile.

Naturally, she understood their concern. The elders had always been extremely protective of the Kekkei Genkai that belonged to Konoha. They had already proven the distances they were willing to go to make sure they did not fall into the wrong hands. Of course it didn't help that the subject was a missing nin, but she guessed that could not be helped. They have offered him to stay, give him a slap on the wrist and let him go free again; just to keep appearances with the other countries, but being the proud little bastard he was, he had refused all approaches.

She cursed him silently. If he would just stay put for a moment she wouldn't be in this mess, but then again she already knew something like this was going to happen. He was not a very easy to handle kind of person, anyway. She sighed. She couldn't deny the logic behind the reasons why they had picked her, but she couldn't stand the thought of handing her only student, her daughter in essence, to the Uchiha brat. It was not easy…but definitely necessary.

She lifted her eyes to meet those of the head of the council, and involuntarily, her gaze hardened. She wanted to show her determination. She wanted to reassure them she would take the responsibility for the actions needed to keep her people safe. She wanted an approval, a reason to later on, justify her actions so she wouldn't be crushed by them. So much for the peaceful times they were living.

She closed her eyes as her mind ran over all the repercussions of her next words and sighed in defeat as she uttered her silent apologies to her beloved student. She would be lying if she said it was not difficult watching her struggle after he left her…yet again. She had seen her tear stained face as she had clenched her fists in defeat. She was young but her heart had seemed to be just beyond repair. She had waited for him and she had been left aside once more.

Tsunade closed her eyes and nodded her head in approval. She stood from her seat, giving them the answer they were expecting but deep contempt showing on her face. She knew she was being foolish, but she couldn't help her human side; after all, Sakura had been the only apprentice she ever accepted and such a remarkable young lady deserved her deep respect. She chuckled softly at the memory of their first training session. She knew she could trust her. She knew she would manage. She always did.

Her face contorted in a sad smile as she closed the door of the meeting room behind her. She had to let go of the image of the small child she once was. She was stronger than ever. She had proven herself during the war. She had fought him in the past and even if she didn't manage to win she stood her ground. She was no longer afraid of hurting him if she had to, just to bring him to his senses.

Tsunade had to accept it.

Sakura was the most adequate candidate, indeed.

* * *

Darkness. Everywhere. Just darkness.

She narrowed her eyes as drops of heavy rain fell from her nose down to the ground. She shivered instinctively, groaning as she felt the heaviness of her numb muscles under her skin. She hadn't realized she was kneeling on the ground until she tried to move. There was no pain, just numbness. There was no sense of reality, just existence. There was nothing to hold on to, nothing to believe in.

Nothing.

Nothing but those hunting, red eyes.

She closed her own eyes as hard as she could, gritting her teeth as she did so. Without even noticing, her hands clenched into fists while the rain continued to drench her clothes.

She felt cold.

'Sakura'

Her eyes shot open as the sound of her name hit her ears, regretting the action as soon as she saw his eyes. All she saw next was blood red fading into black and into the much dreaded darkness once again.

'Sakura'

Her body shot up to sit on the bed as her eyes opened in an instant. She was trembling and a single tear ran down her cheek. She closed her eyes and then opened them and as her eyes slowly adjusted to the faint light that managed to crawl into the room. She raised a hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. As her gaze lowered to her trembling body, a breeze of cold wind chilled her, making her realize the wet and cold sensations from her dreams were actually real. She pulled the covers towards her as she embraced herself absent-mindedly.

She thought she had gotten rid of the dreams long ago…but that voice. Everything came apart at the sole mention of her name from his enticing lips. She forgot she wasn't supposed to open her eyes, to look at him…and she failed. If only there was a small chance to see his handsome face again, to hear his voice calling her name, to feel his presence near her, she would throw her consciousness away. She always had done so every single time. She punched the mattress as she felt frustration flooding her body.

She hated the effect he could cause on her and more so, the fact that she still couldn't let him go. But he had been gone for several years now. He had left them a very long time before then, his mind, his dreams were miles away since the day she met him. He was far out of their grasp the day he left the village for the first time; to never come back, he had said.

And He never did.

A light tap on her window startled her as she partially came back to her senses. The chakra felt reassuringly familiar and she immediately got up from the bed. Her coldness was long forgotten as she moved towards the large crystal door that lead way to her balcony.

She managed a small smile when she recognized the man sitting in the rails of her balcony. The silver hair reflected the moonlight in a haze of light; his head was turned away from the obscurity of her room as if to give her some privacy before he was acknowledged by her. She chuckled softly. Such courtesies were commonly found in his manners towards her.

"It's kind of late for you to be wondering around, Kaka-sensei" she said softly while making her way up to him. Her feet were cold as they touched the concrete of her balcony and another smile escaped her lips as he turned towards her, with his ever present smiling face, well, eyes.

"I was walking around and my feet carried me here. Nothing special." he answered, yawning. His torn clothes and the tiny drop of dried blood near his chin proved he just came from a mission; a rather hard one, given that he didn't get hurt often.

She chose to ignore the fact that he thought he could fool her, and later on realized he was just trying not to worry her, since she had a knack for doing so, or so they thought. She had always appreciated the gesture, but felt it unnecessary now; given the fact they were ninjas, things tended to get messy. She had come to understand that. They lived and died to protect their village.

Suddenly her anxiety hit her with full force as she remembered today's briefing. She thought as she felt her head heavier and the surroundings started to melt around her.

"You don't have to do anything that you don't want to, Sakura. You can refuse. It is still your decision." He said softly as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

So, that was the _real _reason he had hurried to see her. Of course he knew. How stupid of her to think she could keep this a secret from HIM. She sighed in defeat as she locked her gaze on the concrete.

She was being sent on a real kunoichi mission. Only this time it was not to seduce a feudal lord, but no other than her one long lost love Sasuke Uchiha. One could think that actually being in love with the subject of the mission would make it easier for her to approach him, but it was just that reason which made it so difficult. She had already suffered long enough for the young man that she was reluctant to sacrifice any more years of her life for him. She wanted to let go…she had wanted to do so for so long and yet, her love did not diminish but actually had gotten stronger. It had matured from simply a girl crush into a crushing one sided love. One that had endured all these years.

Tsunade-sama had explained that he had amassed such an enormous power, proven by his assistance to defeat Obito, which they could have never achieved without his help. He was a dangerous treat to the village. His hatred towards the system was a weapon that could be manipulated if handled correctly. He was too young and quite naive still, which made everything worse because he could turn into the next Madara any time now.

He had mentioned his wishes to become Hokage, but when the solicitation was denied, he promised he would rise to power with or without the approval of the council. This silent treat had them worried because the world had already experienced his wrath, only he had picked the right side. This time there was not telling what he could be capable of doing to reach his goal. He was an S-class criminal, after all. So, they chose to eliminate him, but before that could happen, the sharingan trait could not be lost. It was on that fight that it was discovered that the godly Rinnegan is only achieved through this specific blood line. Neither Kakashi nor any other implanted shinobi could be used to keep up the blood line. Only a real Uchiha could pass it on and provide the strength needed to use it for long periods of time, not to mention the actual development of the bloodline gift.

They had to get his sperm and then figure out a way to reproduce the bloodline without him that did not stomp upon moralities more than this whole business already did. Such a grand idea had not been fully approved but they would deal with the consequences once he was dead. They could worry about getting the right people to agree with them later on. As long as they possessed the seed, of course.

And she was chosen to collect it.

She was told she had been one of the few people Sasuke would allow to approach him without sensing them as immediate danger. She was once one of his dearest and closest companions, and they intended to exploit that. She _had _to succeed. There was no one else who could perform this mission; or so they had told her. She was not so sure. Of course, she had thought herself all of that, but time had proven otherwise. He was a cold and dark man now. He was not the old Sasuke-kun anymore, so there was a chance all traces of the times she cherished so much could not be found in his mind anymore.

Kakashi, sensing her concerns, removed his hand causing her to look up, pulling her from her thoughts.

He scratched his covered chin as in thought. "I just don't imagine Tsunade-sama asking Naruto" he said, as a small laugh left his concealed lips.

Sakura laughed out loud as she threw herself to him as to hug him tightly. A small sound escaped his lips as her smaller form collided with his. He was holding her head to his chest with one hand and the other was on the railing to prevent them from falling from her balcony as he closed his eyes in a sad remembrance that she was just a child.

A child entrusted with the fate of her village upon her shoulders…but what else would he expect?

The ninja world was beginning to be molded by the hands of this powerful batch of children.

* * *

Naruto was walking slowly, trying to make up in his mind if this was such a good idea. Surely there were better ways to deal with this situation. There were better people to take care of it, too. Ways that didn't make him so anxious and vulnerable.

He sighed loudly as he rearranged the various items he was holding. Medicines were on his left hand, a thermometer and some towels too. Damn, he swore he was sweating already.

"Damn it, how did I get involved in this" he wined, as he kicked a can that just had the bad luck to be in his way. "Really, Sakura-chan…."

_He was standing outside the Ichiraku ramen shop._

_Sakura was unusually late by twenty minutes already and without anything in his roaring stomach, he honestly didn't think he would last much longer. He could always apologize for starting without her…_

"_Narutoooo!" _

_His head turned sideways to the running woman. He shivered. It felt like he had summoned her. He blushed once his brain thought of other ways to use such power…other dirty ways. Good thing she was bent over her knees so she couldn't see his red face or he was sure to get a slap across the face. _

_When she was able to regain her breath and face him, he could see the heavy bags under her emerald eyes. He had actually seen those quite a couple of times before, but he thought the nightmares were long gone; or so he assumed. It had been a few months since she had the dark marks under her eyes and her mood improved drastically since he left._

"_Morning, Sakura-chan!" he said enthusiastically, pushing his previous thoughts away. This was not a moment to be thinking of such difficult times. She was way better now and ready to move on and he was ready to order and fill the hole in his raging belly too. _

_She smiled sweetly in return. "Morning, Naruto! Sorry for keeping you waiting."_

"_It´s ok. I thought I was gonna end up eating my insides, though." He said laughing in that way he only could do. _

_She smiled at his remark. She hoped he would forgive her for keeping her mission a secret from him. She knew that if he found out, he would never approve. He still believed Sasuke could be saved from the dark path he walked on, but he denied the fact that it was Sasuke himself who had chosen that path. He was given the choice and he had made it the minute he left the village. _

_No. He must not know…so she had to keep him busy and locked up if she was going to succeed and she had already found a way to do so._

"_Gomenasai! I was packing for my mission and got carried away. Anyways, I was wondering if you could do me a favor, please."_

"_Sure. Anything for you Sakura-chan!" Naruto said brightly, putting a handful of noodles into his mouth. _

"_Hinata-chan caught a terrible cold last night and I have to go out on a mission. I know you are no medic but I couldn't trust her safety to anyone else. Her father and sister left for a business trip a couple of days ago and she doesn't want to worry them. So I figured that as long as I was out, you could take care of her." She said snugging him on the shoulder as she noticed his reddened face._

"_What about Shizune?" he spat, wondering why he was so nervous._

"_Out on a mission" Sakura retorted._

"_Ino?"_

"_She can't do it; she is too busy taking her dad's job now."_

'_Damn it…think Naruto think….' " Uh…what about Oba-chan? "_

"_She is the Hokage, Naruto. She is busy!" she sighed loudly. "Well, if you are so reluctant, I could always ask Kiba. He would be more than glad to-"_

"_NO!" Naruto reacted before he could stop his mouth. "I…I guess it's all right. I mean…if there isn't ANYONE else that you would trust…I guess it can't be helped"_

_Sakura smiled knowingly. The Kiba card always had a funny an effect upon little Naruto._

"_The only thing you need to do is stay by her side and keep track of any changes on her temperature. A fever is really dangerous, so I'll teach you how to control it and what to do to get it down. You have nothing to fear, you are Konoha's hero after all." she said chuckling a bit when she saw his eyes glow. _

"_Damn right!" He said between mouthfuls of food. _

'_God, some things never change….thankfully' she thought while she finished her miso. _

_She was thankful he was still so dense. She knew he had no real malice in his body but so much waiting was gonna kill Hinata! Really…the girl had confessed her love to him while trying to save his life…had proven she was a skilled shinobi because of him, slapped him across the face AND had held his hand when he needed her the most. Honestly, she didn't know what else she could do, except to throw herself naked to him in order to make him realize what he was letting go._

_So…if that was what she needed to do…she will defiantly help. _

"_If the body is too hot, DO NOT try to get it to cool down with a cold water bath. That will only change the body temperature way too fast and could bring her to a breakdown because the body cannot adjust fast enough to the new temperature. What you need to do is basically lower the temperature little by little, but ONLY if it gets to a level that it cannot be brought down with anything else. Got it?"_

"_Yeah, sounds pretty easy for the next Hokage. No big deal, Sakura-chan"_

"_Listen, Naruto. A fever could be really troublesome, so just stay by her bedside, don't move and help her to anything she needs. I am counting on you"_

"_You can always count on me, dattebayo!" he said eagerly as he finished his first bowl of ramen that morning._

All that thinking had led him straight where he needed to be. The Hyuuga's manor was in front of him with his huge wooden doors and immense architecture. He gulped and pushed the door open. He was met with a huge central garden rounded by wooden floors that gave way to the house rooms.

"Hina-" he closed his mouth as a high pitched sound came from his mouth. 'Argh! , what's wrong with me! , it's not like I haven't ever been in a girl's home, alone…without any maids or parents'

"Na-Naruto-kun…is that you?" a sweet voice came from a nearby corridor.

Naruto turned as he heard her familiar voice and then rushed to her side when he heard she was coughing continuously. "Hinata-chan are you ok?" he asked, concern tuning his voice as he handled her a glass of water that was on her night stand.

"I feel better now, thank you" she said as she placed the glass to its former place.

He gulped once more as he saw her flushed face and her half-lidded gaze. Was she supposed to look this beautiful while being sick? ...'Oh Kami…Am I becoming a pervert now?!'

"I- I am-cough- glad you are here, Naruto-kun" she smiled sweetly before closing her eyes slowly and panting gently.

"Oh, the fever…right!" he remembered while he wet a towel with fresh water and placed it on her forehead after squeezing the excess of water from it.

He sighed worriedly as another pant escaped her parted full lips. Her skin was glowing lightly under the moonlight because of the fine layer of sweat of her feverish body and her flushed face did not help.

This was defiantly going to be a long night.

He just hoped Sakura would come back soon.

* * *

"Sasu…ke-kun" she moaned lightly as she gasped for air, writhing gently under his delightful weight; her naked body faintly glowing in the moonlight.

He had a very firm grip on her wrists as he kissed her neck, leaving faint marks where his lips traveled. He wanted to brand her as his. He wanted everyone to know she was all his and no one else could ever touch his blossom. As he turned to look at her eyes, he adjusted his position over her delicate form and felt himself grow even harder at her helpless and breathless face. Her flushed cheeks and mewls delighting his senses.

He had selfishly craved for this power he was inflicting upon her for quite long. He craved for the way her hips reacted to his ragged breaths and how she moaned his name in that sweet voice he had grown to yearn over the years of his absence.

He felt her body react as he kissed from her collar bone down to the valley of her round breasts. Sasuke felt her shiver as he ran his tongue over her hardened nipple; his wet tongue leaving a warm trace on her silky skin. She was helplessly held down by his stronger frame, every attempt she made to free herself was swiftly countered. She could not escape him now. He was fascinated by the way his body pressed her against the softness of the bed while his free hand rummaged through her naked body. The sight of her pleading eyes was almost too much to bear for his mind as her hips felt so close to his throbbing member. He was aware of every movement her smaller body made against his own and felt Sakura's every touch sent spikes of electricity through his body.

He groaned as she managed to slip one hand to his lower body and brushed her fingers against his clothed member. It was amazing how such a small gesture could have his breath hitch in just one movement. She felt his grip loosen a bit and took her chance. She released her remaining hand from his grasp, leaving one to stroke his throbbing member and the other one to run along his naked torso, grazing every muscle with her fingertips, slowly making her way to his strong neck. She felt every hard muscle contract at her touch and his breath hitch delightfully.

He slipped an arm under her bare back and lifted her slightly so she was brushing directly against his hips. She responded immediately by wrapping one smooth leg over his waist, making the contact even stronger. He grunted slightly as the feeling in his groin intensified. He was slowly losing control over his body.

She gasped for air as she rocked her hips against his as his mouth had found hers; his teeth tugging onto the soft flesh as she parted her lips allowing entrance to his demanding tongue. He explored the roof of her mouth as her tongue battled his over dominance, only subsiding when the need of air broke them apart.

She closed her eyes as he attacked her neck once more. He could feel her hands slipping through his unzipped shirt, scratching his flesh lightly all the way to the hard planes of his back, sending jolts of ecstasy through him, as he bit and marked her porcelain skin. He wanted to feel every curve of her body, taste all her flavors and memorize every breathless expression she could render. He wanted to fulfill all her wishes, carry out all her fantasies so he could melt her with his touch.

"Sakura" he groaned into her ear, making her moan almost instantly. He chuckled darkly at such an effect from her and ran calloused fingers along her spine all the way down to her plump ass, squeezing the soft flesh roughly. She yelped at the rough contact and tugged on his raven locks slightly, earning a small groan from him. She bit his earlobe lightly as her tongue ran all the way down his neck, sucking and marking him as he had done earlier to her now reddening flesh. Sasuke moved his head a bit to the right so she could have more access and grinned when he saw her lust clouded eyes.

He saw her bit her lower lip as she striped his shirt off to show his strong and muscular frame to her demanding eyes. She ran her nails along his torso, leaving faint marks on his pale skin all the way down to the hem on his pants. Supporting himself on his elbows, he hovered above her, silently challenging her to take them further.

He emitted a throaty moan once her hands were busy running down his hard length. He let his head rest on the crevice of her neck as she pressed her thumb against the tip of his throbbing member, only to bring it to her lips and lick the precum hungrily and directing her wet finger back down to run from the tip to the base, leaving a delicious wet sensation on its path.

The feeling of her small and smooth fingertips running up and down his shaft was slowly taking away any restraint he had managed to build. He wanted to hear her scream his name as loud as her voice could allow, and without a second thought, he slipped a hand to her dripping core.

Sakura's head fell back as he heard her gasp violently once his fingers found the hidden nub between her folds. He felt her body shaking as he ran a finger down to her wet entrance and back, running small circles on the small bud.

"Ah! Sa-sasuke! Please!" she begged him in between pants. He grinned lustfully as her arms flew to his neck once he slipped the tip of his finger inside her heat.

Sakura groaned as he teased her mercilessly.

"Tell me what you want" he whispered in her ear as his ragged breaths warmed her skin and his hips pushed into hers. He could not get tired of her moans or her heavily lidded eyes. He captured her soft lips once more, pushing his tongue inside her mouth, devouring her taste and loving the small moans she could not contain.

"I want all of you…"

Sasuke's body shot upwards as he fought his ragged breaths and racing heart to calm down. He ran a hand through his raven locks, frustrated. He had a faint layer of sweat covering his pale skin. He groaned as he got up to his small bathroom to splash cold water on his face. He grabbed the sink, head low in deep thought. He didn't understand why he was having these dreams every night for the past week. He had not been allowed even one night of peaceful rest without dreaming of her. Every night was a different story…never relating to any other dream but slowly advancing towards that path.

The remembrance of her in his dream sent a jolt through his body, making him aware of the annoying state his body was in. Sighing, he admitted defeat to his own physique and grabbed a towel. He needed a very cold bath to deal with this one.


	2. Hide and Seek

_Chapter 2._

"Hide and Seek."

The morning Sakura left it was still dark when she headed out of Konoha's doors. She let out a small chuckle when she passed the Hyuga's Manor as she silently wished Hinata good luck with her clueless teammate. She just hoped she hadn't pushed the matter too far for her friend's sake.

'Oh well, I guess there's nothing I can do if I worry now. I'll see once I'm back.' She thought as her feet led her trough the main road that led to the woods out of her home town. One look back was all she allowed herself before taking off.

The challenges of this mission began almost immediately. Before anything happened, she had to find him first, and given the fact he went missing for a couple of years before they could find him…that was going to be one hell of a challenge. Nonetheless, Sakura went over the information she was given through her head as she jumped from tree branch to the other.

The last location where Sasuke was seen at was on Kumogakure. A strange place, given that the Raikage was the most interested person in erasing him off the map. Especially since the rogue ninja had disappeared on the following hours after Madara´s death.

He always had been suspicious that the leaf had helped Sasuke escape punishment because he seemed to vanish when he went hunting for his head. One would think that he went through a lot more than he should but he considered the young Uchiha, like Danzou said once, a mistake that had gone long enough. He had witnessed firsthand how smart and devious Sasuke could be. He had fought Danzo fearlessly and still came out victorious.

She shuddered from the memory. His eyes had been so cold and full of hatred that time. She sighed. He was defiantly not little old Sasuke-kun. She still had to figure out a way to tempt him into submission to fulfill her goal.

'First things first, Sakura. Find him first…then you can go nuts on how to seduce such a man. I mean he is still a man…so he must have urges as well…like any human being. Right?' She wasn't sure. He didn't seem affected by puberty when she met him and he was certainly not like anyone she had met before…but all that thinking would get her cold feet if she didn't stop. Now was not the time to push herself down…she needed to be fully focused on the task at hand so she could succeed.

But Sakura was truly amazed he hadn´t got caught yet. Her eyes raced through the report she had been given as she made her way into the tree tops. The report described visual contact only once, but the rumors about his presence along with some small incidents told her that he was trying to lay low, still letting them know he was there. Which didn´t apply to his normal behavior.

Her eyebrows narrowed in deep thought. He was confident in his power; sometimes too confident, but definitely not stupid. He kept moving, trying to pass unnoticed through the village. He knew that one minimal mistake would have the Raikage on his trail in a heartbeat.

She couldn´t help a small sigh escape her lips as her mind wandered what his plans were. She had to figure him out if she wanted to find him, which wouldn´t be easy. She´d never been able to do it before when they were kids, she was expecting a little more trouble now. She sighed loudly raising her hand to shield her eyes from the rays of sun that blocked her vision.

She was supposed to make contact with the ANBU team that wrote the report late that afternoon.

She felt tired and sore of the long journey she had made for five days, barely stopping for food and rest, so when the ANBU team appeared as from thin air, she just sighed in relief.

Good. She wouldn´t have to look for them.

The captain from the ANBU team was not much older than her. He was taller by almost a head, though, with broad shoulders and long blue hair. The mask shielded his face and Sakura wondered for a second what it looked like. Probably the mystery of Kakashi´s face transformed into a trauma after all, she thought, smiling to herself as she did so.

"Haruno-san?" Sakura was pulled from her thoughts as the person in question reached and touched her shoulder briefly. "We were worried about your well-being when we picked up your chakra two days before schedule. You surely made an almost inhuman effort to be able to make it over here so fast."

Sakura nodded. She felt every muscle of her body tremble in complain but shook it off. She had learned to ignore the pain years ago. Something like this wouldn´t bring her down. Not when she was so close to seeing him again. She descended onto the forest ground to rest her sore legs.

"Taichou-dono, I don´t mean to be rude but I am going to need to talk to the members of the squad who had contact with Uchiha Sasuke as soon as possible." Sakura said as she kneeled down, searching for some papers on her travel bag. She made it very clear to everybody on the scene that speed was a priority for her.

"I was the only one present on the scene. I thought one man would be harder to notice but no matter how hard I masked my chakra, I was no match for Uchiha."

Sakura looked up to see the young man besides her. She hated when they talked about Sasuke as if he was an invincible warrior, a legendary devil somewhat fantastic.

He gave a brief signal to his team. Only a rushing sound and the small movement of leaves made noticeable the team´s disappearance to Sakura.

"Even when we are along comrades, we cannot let this kind of information leak in any way. I´m sure you understand." His raspy voice provoked a rare uneasiness in her stomach that she couldn´t discard.

"I do, but please, tell me every little detail of what you are able to remember. Even if it doesn´t seem important for you, it could be for me." The intense look on her eyes made it clear he had her undivided attention.

"Everything started when a rumor about a rouge ninja from the Mist had started a small riot on the village´s outskirts. It´s not only strange that the villagers get involved in violent fights, they are usually very calm, but the way he was fighting was almost as if he wished to attract attention. This did not go unnoticed by my team, but we usually don´t interfere with Kumokagure´s affairs. The lightning is a very proud community. We don´t want to cause any conflicts between the two countries for a mistake that we could possibly evade.

Nevertheless, reinforcements were sent when the small unit from Raikage´s office was whipped out by this mysterious ninja." He paused. His hands turned into fists as he described the encounter to her. Sakura could not see his face but she was sure that underneath his mask laid a face of pure disgust as his voice suggested.

"We arrived too late and I was sure from the moment I saw the individual that he was known to be traveling along with Uchiha. Suigetsu, an S ranked criminal that escaped alongside Uchiha once the Great Fourth Ninja War had ended. He seemed to be fighting without any restriction or any particular goal in mind, just for the sake of breaking havoc. So I ordered my team to assist and engage while I moved onto town searching for Uchiha's chakra signature, since I am a sensor. I found him far from the fighting area, of course. He was exiting a small cottage hidden in the woods which looked very ancient and ceremonial with a scroll on his hand bearing his clan's emblem. He defiantly looked troubled, as if in deep thought.

He made no effort in hiding from me but did not seek a confrontation either; it was as if he had taken no interest in me whatsoever. So, I proceeded to capture him but he turned towards me and my consciousness faded in a second. I do not remember anything past that point and to the fact that I woke up in a hospital bed several hours later. This is all written in the report as well, so I apologize if I was not of much help, Haruno-san."

"I assure you, you were of great help. Now could you pinpoint the location of the cottage you found him in, please? I need to verify if there are any indicators as where he could be headed to." She got up from the place she had been sitting on and started to dust herself off.

She arrived at the cottage twenty minutes later. It was situated at the far east of the village deep into the forest grounds. She found the cottage oddly familiar and circled around it for a few minutes. There were no abnormalities either inside or outside it. It looked like a normal cottage on the outside and it was completely empty on the inside.

'He had a scroll when he exited this place. He came here specifically to retrieve it and even made a plan to not be bothered. Think Sakura, think!' she kneeled on the ground to level her head and focus. She needed to discover what was here or how is it related to him in order to find him. She looked up to inhale and then she remembered it. From the low perspective she was looking the cottage at, she remembered it was a design that she used to see when she was very small and used to walk around town with her mother holding her hand. They used to walk along the Uchiha compound often while it was on its fullest glory. That was how she had met the Uchiha boy before they entered the ninja academy. He was laughing out loud while Itachi, his oldest brother, chased after him.

She allowed herself a small smile while she remembered how happy and innocent the raven haired boy had looked like back on those days and returned to the task at hand. Now that she knew it belonged to the Uchiha, she assumed they couldn't find anything because they were looking at an illusion. The cottage held something only fit for the eyes of those who possessed the Sharingan trait. She had always been good at genjutsu but beating an Uchiha was most likely impossible. She suddenly wished she had brought Kakashi along.

She was still thinking of a way to deal with their problem, when she felt suddenly week and fell to the ground soundly in the middle of the cottage. She could hear the forest noises faintly in the background as her consciousness faded away quickly.

"_You are definitely not Naruto." She heard a grave and unfamiliar voice pronounce. _

_This could not be…this man was dead._

* * *

Sakura woke up with a horrible headache. She barely remembered where she was; actually everything had been fuzzy after she entered the cottage. The night was falling rapidly as she exited the cottage still a bit dizzy. She needed to find a place to rest for the night and hopefully think and recall the previous events more calmly.

She decided to go further into the forest in search for a waterfall she remembered from earlier. She had used the provisions she had brought and the town was further away so she decided to spend the night by the waterfall refill her water supplement and move to town in the morning. Oddly determinate to go by the waterfall she kept moving as if she knew how to reach it by heart. She didn't know why but there was a feeling in her gut that was telling her to move quickly. She was likely being followed, probably by the ANBU team, to make sure she was well because she could recognize the chakra signature.

By the time she reached the waterfall she was fully on-guard. The individual following her had not appeared to even assure her it was part of the ANBU team. She had considered the fact that could be part of the village's shinobi but the fact that she recognized her chakra mingled with their own made clear she had previously held contact with the pursuer.

She decided to splash fresh water on her face before turning to meet his chaser. Apparently he did not feel the need to conceit his appearance to her anymore.

"Why are you following us?" his deep voice and narrowed eyes were no surprise to her, but his towering body over hers made her feel small against such a built opponent.

Sakura's hands turned into fists as the realization hit her fully. She had found him!

Upon receiving no answer to his question, but a slight smile from her, the orange haired man advanced towards the kunoichi. Sakura could feel his killing intent from all around him, like an aura that made the hairs of the back of her neck stand. This man was incredibly dangerous and volatile. She needed to be very careful.

"Sakura-san, why are you following us?" he repeated merely a few steps away from her. But before she could answer him, he started shouting at her. His curse mark started to crawl onto his skin as he lost control. "You came here to kill him too, bitch! Didn't you?! I won't fucking let you!"

Sakura was momentarily taken aback by his sudden reaction but she had seen his power from the war and her mind started to work viciously on her options as she backed away from him. She knew Juugo was normally a very calm person, usually when he was around Sasuke. If he had lost control so suddenly that meant he has not in the vicinity. By the info Karin was able to rely to he,r she knew he always tried to fight his violent demeanor but it was a battle he was fated to lose if the dark haired male was not around.

Sakura heard a cry of pain followed by a loud growl that pierced her very soul. The man that had been in front of her moments ago was now fully transformed into a grey monster lusting for her blood.

Damn, she was in trouble now.

She barely had any time to lift her arm to block a well-aimed fist. Her defensive stance took most of the damage he had intended to inflict but the force of the blow sent her flying at an insane speed. She stomped into the ground as hard as her chakra-covered feet would allow her. Otherwise she would just crash against a good number of trees before stopping.

Sakura had barely any time to jump out of the way as Juugo pounded to rubble the place she had been standing on. She needed to fully analyze her situation as she kept moving. She threw some kunais at him hoping to buy her some precious seconds.

He was being awfully impulsive. He was not thinking, just attacking. He was easily to provoke and she could definitely use that against him.

Juugo was hit by one of her kunais but mostly avoided the rest by side stepping. The rest just fell to the ground digging into the grass.

"You seriously thought that would stop me! Don't be fucking kidding me! I'll rip you apart, you whore!" He roared furiously. Apparently he also hated being underestimated.

Sakura grinned viciously. She had accomplished her goal and with a loud 'Shannaro' as a war cry, she rushed forward, meeting his attack with her own monstrous force.

The moment their blows connected, the ground gave and cracked to pieces beneath their feet as a fierce wind rushed past them. The sound of their clash was enough to make the birds on the nearby trees fly away to safety, as a wild deep roar was emitted from the man in front of her.

She knew what that meant, and assumed a fighting stance.

The battle was on now.


	3. Asylum

"_**Asylum"**_

"Ne, Sasuke, have you seen Juugo? He left a couple of hours ago and…" Suigetsu was cut mid-sentence as a loud roar followed by an ear deafening crash was heard a couple of miles away. "Forget it, I just found him" Suigetsu said amused, holding a grin to his face. He felt pity for the poor bastard crazy Juugo was pounding. It was always fun to watch; but to be honest, it got a little old too soon.

He turned towards the dark haired male to his left; curiosity was getting the best out of him, nowadays. Sasuke was sitting a couple of meters away, his mind clearly somewhere else. He had been extremely distant since he had come back from the woods, more than usual, anyways. He never told them what he had found and Suigetsu knew better than to ask him. If it had to do with his deceased brother, then it was a touchy ,touchy matter for Sasuke. So he felt that if he was needed at any rate, Sasuke would let them know sooner or later. It was how they rolled, after all.

Suddenly, Sasuke got up and started to walk towards the loud battle raging on ahead; which was getting louder by the minute. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel curious about who could last this long against the grey monster but he felt drained. The sun had been a real bitch today for his watery body and he didn't want to move at all.

Sasuke, sensing him still seated, half turned his head to meet his eyes, commanding him to move silently.

"Gotta get him, huh? What a pain in the ass…" He said as he got up lazily from his spot towards the Uchiha. He really was not in the mood to go get Juugo, especially when he knew that he would have to sustain a few injuries before the maniac could be calmed.

"For someone who needs to rest every couple of hours as to not to dehydrate, you are one to talk" Sasuke replied coldly. Sometimes, Sasuke doubted his decision of choosing them. Suigetsu could really annoy the hell out of him with his idle chat and childish attitude. Unfortunately for now, the best thing to do was to go and retrieve his crazed subordinate before he got them noticed. "Let's go, Suigetsu"

"Hai, hai" the lavender haired male answered waiving his hand carelessly up and down while taking off after the Uchiha towards the woods.

They followed the sounds of battle to the forest and increased their pace as they heard more explosions rummage the landscape ahead while debris flew from the ground.

"By the sound of it…this would be hella interesting" Suigetsu said out loud to no one in particular, his excitement barely hidden.

Sasuke eyed him from the corner of his eye and kept silent, agreeing with his team mate.

They had no idea just how interesting things could get now.

* * *

"Shannaro!" Sakura cried out loud as her fist connected to the side of the now armored shinobi; the force of the blow sending her opponent flying across the waterfall, only to land on the rocky terrain around the pond. She was having a hard time dealing with Juugo's humongous strength. She was rapidly running out of chakra and if that happened, she would be doomed.

She was aware of the incredible amount of chakra needed to maintain a cursed seal, judging by Sasuke's previous condition, but Juugo was different. He had been born with the gift; this was his bloodline, so its use was more natural and less stressful for his body. It also increased his reaction time and speed.

She looked over to the spot where Juugo landed previously to find him slowly getting up. She silently cheered as she saw his broken arm being helplessly dragged along his side. She had been trying to land a direct hit since the beginning but he was fast and had avoided her fists the entire time.

"Quit jumping around, girl. I want to smash you to a pulp!" Juugo yelled, charging at top speed, not caring about his damaged body. He had a tiny line of blood running down from his mouth and his arm was hurting badly but if only she could stay put for a few seconds he could break her pretty little body to pieces. He assured himself her candy colored hair would look amazing when it was stained with her vivid red blood.

He charged at her as fast as his feet could carry him, ready to connect his fists with her. He was a little surprised when she didn't move but instead, held her ground, waiting for their clash. Juugo laughed at her stupidity. The little wench thought she could handle him; well she was just going to see how wrong she was…underestimating him like that…

Sakura, on the other hand, was not really sure of her plan either, but she was confident in both her strength and her chakra control. She knew that she was not exactly muscle strong; she had understood that when she was training with Tsunade-sama; that was why her chakra control was aimed to brute force, but she was also smart, so she had some aces under her sleeve as well. 'This is the time to prove all I have learned since the war ended!'

Juugo came at her at top speed, silently waiting for her to move at the last second, but she kept undisturbedly in place. His grin intensified when he noticed her hands held in front of her with her palms opened, sort of protectively towards him and her eyes were closed.

'As if!' he thought viciously.

The moment his fist connected with her palm her eyes opened and he felt immense force rise from her palms as they closed around his fist, imprisoning his hand and using her other hand for support, she used his momentum and force against him to finally toss him violently to the ground; the force of the impact raised the earth around him, digging him into the ground helplessly.

She jumped high in the air, ready to kick his already down form. He jumped out of the crater he had made, but she was quick enough to turn around in midair using her hands for support as she propelled herself to another midair turn and connected her feet with his face. She was too fast for the still confused male to counter attack in time. He fell under the force of her chakra pumped kick and made a path of rubble as he slid across the place they had started their fight at. She could still see the kunais she had thrown earlier dug into the ground.

She only needed to push him a couple of meters to the right and all the effort to tire him down would finally pay off.

"Don't tell me that is all you've got, Juugo. If it is, then sooner or later your dear Sasuke-kun will end up just like Kimimaro; used and disposed of like he is nothing!" She taunted, wearing a sick grin on her otherwise delicate features. She relaxed her stance a little and waived him forward, just to tick him off.

And of course it worked.

Her words pierced through him as his eyes darkened from pure hate towards the kunoichi. He charged forward at top speed despite his bloodied body and painful expression. Sakura prepared to punch him, this time just to send him to the right place when he surprised her by blocking her punch with a speed he had not displayed before, turning immediately and landing a powerful kick to her exposed side.

She coughed up blood as she concentrated hard on the task and not the pain. She grabbed his leg as best as she could and threw him as far as her body could allow her. She swung with all her might and landed on her knees as she released him, exhausted. She looked over to her right. She knew that if this didn't work, she wouldn't be able to fight any longer. She had used almost all of her chakra on that last move.

She was able to see his helpless form as he flew and landed on the right spot. She smiled when she heard a chain of explosions as he entered the area where her kunais had landed, making a huge crater this time. She knew by experience this would weaken him enough as to try to reactivate her chakra in his system and stop his transformation. She didn't want to kill him; she felt sorry for the gentle male that was fated to carry this curse and had vowed to help him find a cure to his rampages. Only Sasuke had decided to leave before she was able to.

'Damn brat…always doing what he fancies!' she thought as she slowly and painfully walked towards the unconscious male lying under a pile of rubble. He started to move under the rock that was on top of him as she prepared her glowing hand to his heart, to accelerate the activation through his chakra conducts. He would not be able to move for a moment, which she attempted to use.

"Juugo"

The sound of the familiar voice made her turn in an instant, leaving her front exposed for seconds; seconds that Juugo didn't waste as he thrust forward an oversized claw towards the kunoichi.

She couldn't react fast enough; the huge hand had grabbed her entire form already. She struggled, trying to free herself from his brutal force but the creature tossed the boulder that was previously on top of him away and raised her from the ground. She coughed up blood as his devious hand pressed against her body, crushing her. She had managed to glance at him before she fell unconscious to the extreme pain she was feeling.

'It took him five fucking seconds to ruin my victory…great timing, asshole.' She cursed him as her consciousness slowly drifted away. Sasuke's eyes narrowed for a second before he activated his sharingan. "Stop" he said calmly to the raging man in front of them, he did not think through when he spoke earlier, merely calling out to his subordinate as he caught her attention instead. Those precious seconds had meant her defeat and he felt a small sting of guilt towards his former teammate.

Juugo instantly obeyed his command, allowing a half-contained scream leave his mouth as he transformed back into his normal self. The oversized claw was immediately restored to the original form, letting Sakura fall helplessly to the ground in a mix of blood and dirt.

Sasuke hurried and caught her before she hit the ground, careful not to hurt her any more than she already was. He could see she was still alive; he smirked when he noticed the slight trail of wiped blood running from her mouth, 'tough nut to crack, huh?' he thought as she trembled a little in his arms. She had sustained considerable damage through the fight, but he knew she would survive. She and Naruto had a knack for pestering his life no matter how many enemies tried to kill them.

Suigetsu, who stood carelessly a few meters away, was not really paying attention to the whole affair until he noticed the girl's peculiar hair color. "O..Oi Sasuke! Isn't she from your village?" he exclaimed amused, pointing at the girl in the Uchiha's arms and dragging the latter back from his thoughts. "She was with you when you went all three sannin's power and shit, right?!"

Sasuke did not reply, but merely looked down at her, narrowing his eyes. She had been unusually useful back then, keeping the soldiers alive and maintaining the numbers tipped on their favor. She had healed Naruto's wounds so he would keep fighting no matter what came at him. She had been a pillar of strong will to keep them all standing. She had even healed his teammates and tried to help Juugo, as far as he knew.

He was already walking to their lair unconsciously when Suigetsu's snort earned the shark-boy a visual warning.

"Here I was, thinking you were a cold hearted, egocentric bastard when you decide to rescue your damsel in distress, catching her before she falls and now, taking her to our hideout. Man, you are truly the weirdest guy I've ever met" Suigetsu declared grinning widely as he took a sip from his bottled water.

His words were not welcomed nor asked for by the raven haired male, so when he answered him he made sure it was in the coldest of warnings towards his subordinate; "She knows where we are headed. She was able to find us and if she survives, she would eventually let Konoha know we are aiming for them and they would be on our tail. Having her with us is the safest way to keep our plans to ourselves. Besides, she would be a good bargain if the need arises. Konoha won't let her blood run if it can be helped. " Sasuke said over his shoulder.

He had started to walk towards the cave they were resting in earlier to settle for the night. His thoughts were echoing through his mind as he evaluated the situation. He knew she was smart; therefore, he was not entirely surprised she had made it that far. What had surprised him the most though, is that she was alone.

Not even Naruto was with her.

Strange, to say the least; and he just wondered what she was up to.

* * *

The moment he had reached their hideout, he ordered Suigetsu to make a place to lay her on as Juugo came back with some medicinal plants and started to mix them. He was no medic, but he had learned enough to keep them patched up when Karin decided to stay on Konoha. She had stated she wanted to be useful in a positive way to humanity as she felt she was being given a second chance; she was the only one who took the offer of all four of them.

Once Suigetsu's improvised bed was done, Sasuke had approached the pile of clothes he had used and kneeled down to gently deposit her broken form on top of it. He was slightly surprised when her hand was clenched unto his shirt, bloodying the material under her fingers.

She felt cold and her breathing was labored. He narrowed his eyes, in troubled thoughts, when Juugo asked him to move so he can treat her. He explained Sasuke her injuries could be serious if any of her vital organs had been damaged on the fight. He needed to assess the damage and treat her as best as he could so she would heal properly.

Sasuke clearly understood and moved out of the way, and walked to the entrance of the cave. He needed to get his thoughts cleared, she was making a thunderstorm in his mind and he did not appreciate that. 'Why of all times….why now!?' he thought angrily as he made his way back to the forest. Maybe some training would help his troubled state.

After a particular powerful punch, he felt the emotions within him calm down as the tree he had been 'sparring' against fell with a loud sound. He needed to go back now, the night had kicked in a while ago and the moonlight fell undisturbed and calm on the beautiful landscape. The uncertainty of Sakura's condition bothered him somewhat. He didn't want to admit he cared, but seeing her so broken had awaken a certain old promise he had made while fighting against Gaara. He just tried to convince himself she was not one of his important people anymore…that the promise did not apply to her.

When he entered the cave, he could see Juugo was carefully placing a blanket over Sakura's body. He feared the worst for a second until he spotted the small smile that was hidden by the shadows that crawled over Juugo's exhausted face.

"Sasuke" Juugo greeted while the latter placed a rather big pile of wood he had been carrying on the ground close to where Juugo was kneeling. Sasuke could see he felt horribly sorry for the damage inflicted on the young female once he came to his senses. He was a really peaceful man who did not seek to harm anyone, let alone someone who had been kind and caring towards him. She had personally offered him to stay at the Leaf's Specialized Hospital under her direct care; they will try to remove and control his urges, so he could live a normal life without being locked up or depending on someone, but Juugo had refused by a reason he ignored.

Suigetsu walked towards them as Sasuke arranged the wood and set it ablaze with a small Katon jutsu. He sat down around the fire as to warm himself a bit as he silently watched the wood be consumed by the vivid fire, in a trance, until he broke the silence.

"Pretty amazing this girl, huh? To take Juugo on and almost get him…"Suigetsu said, reaching his palms towards the fire to warm up a little. He cracked a small smile as he watched a reaction stir in the dark haired male sitting next to him.

Sasuke had seen her too. They had made it in time to see their grey companion deliver the powerful kick to her side. He had managed to break at least a rib; he was pretty sure the battle was over at that point when suddenly she grabbed his leg which was still connected to her side and tossed him aside as if he was a ragdoll towards her trap. She was nowhere near amazing, as far as he was concerned, but he had to recognize she had guts. She had improved her battle skills since he last saw her.

"Ne, Sasuke…what do ya think Sakura-chan is doing here?" Suigetsu asked casually, pulling him away from his thoughts once more, only to sink him into new ones.

"Sakura-chan?" He said, raising an ebony eyebrow to emphasize his inquiry. "I didn't realize you knew each other."

"Oh yeah, she felt me up, back at your village." Suigetsu said with a devilish grin, plastered on his handsome face.

"She was healing you, Suigetsu." Juugo said calmly as he interrupted the conversation. "And you were unconscious."

"Still counts!" he fought back. "I caught a glimpse of her cotton candy hair just before I went out…she's just not easy to forget." He finished with a dreamy expression; earning a grunt from Sasuke. He had to agree her hair was pretty uncommon and her crazy personality could be so damn annoying, that she just set new standards. Not good ones, as far as he was concerned.

He was still thinking about standards when Juugo finally sat down next to them. He was thoughtful and silent, which drove Suigetsu to voice their concerns.

"So, Juugo, how is she?" he asked gently. Suigetsu was no softie, but he was not ungrateful either. That was one of the reasons he had kept along with Sasuke after the Uchiha had freed him. He had to admit it was fun to wreak havoc and be an S-ranked criminal, but only to himself, though.

"She will make it. She just needs to rest for a couple of days and she will be all right." Juugo replied calmly, his eyes never leaving the dancing fire in front of him. He felt guilty for all the damage he caused the girl. 'She did not deserve this' he thought as he clutched his head on his hands and closed his eyes. He was starting to drown on his own thoughts when a reassuring hand on his shoulder made him open his eyes.

"Come on, big guy; don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't mean to hurt her, right?" Suigetsu tried to cheer him up. "Besides, almighty Uchiha was not there with you, so it is kinda his fault too" he finished with a small grin while nodding towards the Uchiha boy sitting next to him.

While his statement was welcomed by the orange haired man, Sasuke was not too thrilled. He was not Juugo's babysitter and to be honest with himself, his own concern for the girl was high enough without Suigetsu's remarks. He needed to see her and make sure she would survive.

"Suigetsu, you have first guard; Juugo, keep watch over her. I will be back later." Sasuke said as he glanced at Sakura before leaving the hideout. There were some things he needed to do concerning his current personal mission. He couldn't waste any more time. He had to figure out the scroll Itachi had left for him.

As for Suigetsu, his eyes just widened at the mention of first guard. He _loathed_ having first guard. He knew he was in for it when he had seen Sasuke's eyes narrow at his comment earlier, but he had decided it was worth it. After all, if the big guy started to get all emo on him, he would not be able to take it. Sasuke was enough for what he could stand.

He felt accomplished, either way. He had seen Juugo calmer and the little birds had started flying inside the cave once again; a good sign. They always seemed to leave whenever Juugo was about to lose it; so he trusted their tiny judgment on anything concerning the big monster. But as good as he felt for stopping yet another rampage, he was starting to fall asleep already. This road was absolutely deserted; there was nothing to watch out for.

Sakura, was a different story, though. She needed to have the cloth on her forehead changed every 20 minutes. Juugo was still cleaning her wounds when he had asked Suigetsu to watch her while he went for some water to the waterfall. It had been 10 minutes since he asked.

Sakura started to stir in her sleep and Suigetsu walked over to her covered form. The cloth over her head was already hot and he decided to use some of his watery self to freshen it up and placed it over her forehead once again. He heard Sakura hum in her sleep and a small grin found its way on his face.

She looked so beautiful and inviting that he was touching her lips before fully registering what was going on. 'They were soft and pink, a little bruised but full' and as his thoughts kept carrying him from further control, his body moved closer to hers. It had been a while since he had been with a woman and the sight of her weakened state raised his predatory instincts.

He heard a little gasp before her hand came to rest weakly on his chest, trying to stop him from advancing anymore. She could barely murmur a 'stop' with a raspy voice as her eyes pleaded him silently.

"Suigetsu, what the hell are you doing?"

His head wiped at the sound of the Uchiha's voice. He was half on top of Sakura while touching her pink lips. The look on her eyes held pure terror as she was unable to move much to defend herself properly. "Shit! Sasuke, I-" he started to say but he was cut off as the raven haired male punched him fully in the face, sending him flying through the cave and crashing hopelessly on wall.

"Save it." The venom on his voice was almost palpable as he closed on Sakura's position slowly and dangerously. "Leave. Now"

Suigetsu barely had time to get up and leave before Sasuke kneeled down by her side. He knew he had fucked up when he caught a glimpse of his activated sharingan. His chakra had darkened and Suigetsu decided to disappear for a couple of hours until the waters calmed down a bit.

Sasuke watched him leave and when he felt he was far enough, turned to see her face. He narrowed his eyes when he saw a glimpse of true fear in her emerald orbs. "Sasuke-kun…" she whispered as she took hold of his hand.

Sasuke didn't know what to do at that point. He closed his eyes in defeat as he felt as if his voice belonged to someone else; someone who was calm, despite all the emotions stirring inside him.

"Sakura"

The sound of her name in that icy cold voice of his was enough to make her look into his eyes.

"I'll stay up to watch over you. Get some rest" he said as he took his hand out of her as delicately as he could and placed it under her covers. Even if his words were perfectly clear, he could still see confusion in her eyes. "Nothing will happen to you; do as I say, now" he spoke a tiny bit more reassuring.

Sakura nodded in response as she clutched the fabric of his pants when he sat down next to her. He allowed her to rest her hand on his as she closed her eyelids and let out a breath softly. Sasuke understood she needed comfort and since he was incapable of voicing it, he let his body serve the purpose. That was all he could offer.

Sakura gladly accepted it as she felt him squeeze her hand before sleep took over her and his presence soothed her troubled soul.

* * *

"Naru- cough-to-kun" Hinata called softly as her temperature raised even more. She had been calling his name ever since her fever had allowed her to rest a little. Her pink cheeks were reddened as her high temperature warmed her body and her parted lips let soft moans slip through.

He was keeping watch over her, but the soreness of his muscles screamed at him to shift positions for what seemed like the hundredth time over the night. It was already past midnight and her fever did not submit. He was starting to seriously worry over her health now as he removed the cloth that rested on the girl's forehead.

It was incredibly hot.

He rushed his hands to move as fast as he could to get another clean towel and drained it on fresh water. Hinata whimpered a little when the cold sensation touched her feverish skin.

"Gomenasai, Hinata-chan. I know is cold, but this will make you feel better, I promise." he murmured softly as he laid a hand on her cheek as to feel her skin temperature. His face reddened more than hers when her small hand rose to rest on top of his. He didn't notice she had opened her eyes at the contact.

She just couldn't help but smile at his startled expression. He looked adorable and vulnerable, which was not commonly seen in the Konoha's hero very often.

Naruto felt drawn to her as her beautiful smile lightened his worried heart. After everything that these two had been through, she just managed to be there in the times he felt he will just break…she was his support; always watching from the shadows, but there nonetheless.

He leaned in towards her laid form, placing a hand on each side of her head for support as his lips gently brushed over hers. He was finally able to taste those chant lips fully. He marveled in her taste. She tasted so sweet and delicious, fresh and inviting; so when she brushed his lower lip with her tongue he eagerly took the lead, sucking on her lower lip gently before sliding his moist tongue inside her lovely mouth.

Hinata could only moan in anxiety as she grabbed his jacket to push him into her. She was dizzy and as red as a tomato, but then that could be the fever she had to his previous ministrations. She forgot all about her fever or the cold…feeling her body delightly on fire.

He broke the kiss gently and placed a small kiss on her forehead sweetly. "Rest a little, Hinata-chan. I'll be right here" he said as he smiled at her with red cheeks.

She nodded, cracking a small chuckle because she probably looked the same to him. Her fever was high and so was her heart. She felt at peace as she drifted to sleep, right next to him.

* * *

Hey guys! sorry it took me soooo long to update but I'm finally back to college after like 4 years without studying, so it's taking it's toll on me.

Forgive all the mistakes and feel free to review!

Thank you for reading and I hope you like it! :)


	4. For your own sake

"_**For your own sake".**_

Sakura's fever had died down throughout the night. She had woken up a couple of times but the warmth that emanated from Sasuke's body had lured her back to sleep on each occasion.

When she woke up the next morning, she felt stronger; but somehow heavier too. She moved around a little and blushed slightly when she felt the weight of his arm on her. Over the night, he had slid down a bit from his sitting position against the cave's wall. Sakura's upper body was resting on his lap as his left arm rested on top of her shoulders comfortably.

Sasuke's soft breathing and his relaxed features were enough to provoke a small smile as she watched him sleep soundly. This way, he seemed to lower all his walls and for once let her see there was still a trace of that young innocence he still had left. There was no malice in his eyes, no narrowed eyebrows and no cold eyes. He was free of any trick he liked to use to hide his true feelings as he rested peacefully next to her.

She was so enthralled on his handsome face that, for a moment, she forgot the painful state her body was in. She tried to move but her muscles were sore and weak, every movement she made emphasized the pain on her ribcage.

"Sasuke-kun?" she whispered, trying to wake the sleeping man beside her gently.

He frowned, just before slowly opening one eye towards her direction. The simple mention of his name brought him to attention as his cheeks started to flush the moment he realized the position they were both in. It felt so intimate that it was beyond awkward. He lifted his arm, silently motioning her to move, only to end up with his left arm hovering awkwardly over her, while she was clutching the fabric of his pants as she tried to move without success.

"Can you help me move, please?" she whispered as she tried to move her hands from him, embarrassed. Her cheeks were redder than his as she stared into his beautiful black eyes. She was becoming distracted once again and she defiantly needed to move.

"Why are you whispering, Sakura?" he asked, a slightly annoyed tone hinting in his voice.

"Uh?" she replied wordlessly. True, she discovered a moment after that Suigetsu had not come back to the cave after last night's incident and Juugo was nowhere in sight.

He apparently was waiting for a response when his eyebrow rose inquiringly. Sakura, annoyed to say the least, could only answer in her own distasteful tone as she felt as if he was mocking her. "Are you going to help me or not?" she said a little bit harsher than she meant to, but if he did not intend to help, he better not make fun of her either.

He complied silently. He got up, being careful so he wouldn't hurt her and walked to the entrance of the cave.

Sakura was starting to regret giving him a choice when he heard him call on to Juugo, then retreat silently. She allowed a little whimper escape her lips as he slid his hands under her softly. Once she was safely in his arms, he strode closer to the entrance of the cave.

The sunlight hurt her eyes but the warmth of it reached her deeply. She smiled as she felt a fresh breeze play with her unruly bangs. She could hear the birds and animals as the forest came to life to greet the day ahead, making her feel alive once more, away from the coldness of the cave and its inhabitants; only until Sasuke laid her close to the entrance as Juugo walked towards her.

"Sakura-san, please drink this. It is a chakra booster I made with some medicinal plants. I am afraid I am not qualified to treat the gravity of your injuries but once your chakra levels replenish, you will be able to fix yourself" Juugo said, as he lifted her head enough so she could drink a little of the mix.

Sakura smelt the beverage and recognized all the ingredients; once she was satisfied with her mental evaluation, she took a sip at it. It tasted horrible, but then again all the good medicine always did. So she took it like a man, figuratively speaking, and finished every last drop.

Sasuke grunted, amused, when she made a face at the disgusting green mix Juugo had put together. She looked just like a little child who was given a distasteful medicine. She had seemed so childish and vibrant when he allowed the sun to hit her face earlier, too. She had smelt the air and smiled gracefully at the display of wild life at the forest; she seemed to captivate his attention more than he had ever wanted her to. Her innocence had always amazed him, even now. She had always been intense; always yelling and moving around him anxiously. She even had that brightness when she scolded and hit Naruto back when they were Genins. She had a glow around her that he just couldn't place. It intrigued him deeply.

Sasuke was pulled away from his thoughtful state when he heard Sakura call out his name, annoyed. Apparently he had been staring at her intently for some time now. He felt the heat return to his face but he willed himself to calm down. Such displays were not in his character and more importantly, he could not let Sakura think she was the sole cause of this. He had his pride, after all.

"Sasuke-kun, I asked you if you could retrieve my backpack from where I fought Juugo-san." Sakura asked him, the anxious note on her voice made clear to him she was not comfortable.

"You mean the one that was defiantly destroyed during your little spar with Juugo?" he said mockingly, raising an eyebrow.

'There were my spare clothes, bandages, medicines and…..the scroll. Shit! I need to make sure it's either destroyed or safe from his prying eyes. I have to keep him with me at all costs' she thought as her brain worked hard to find a way to keep him busy while she made sure.

"Sakura-san, now that you are awake I need to ask for your permission to remove your clothing. I need to clean you wounds again and the cloth has started to meld with your battered skin. It could infect your healing wounds." Juugo made sure to approach her gently. He knew she was still weary after her night encounter with the stupid mist nin and he wanted her to know she was not in danger with him.

Sakura, however, was not going to miss the chance that was presented to her. She glanced at Sasuke from the corner of her eye and saw a glint of the same intensity he had shown when he had caught Suigetsu last night. She allowed her inner self a wicked smile as she watched and played her part flawlessly.

Sasuke did not know why the sole mention of Juugo taking off her clothes was so disturbing to him. He knew Juugo had no ill intentions towards the kunoichi but the simple thought of his fingers on her skin was unbearable to him. He knew Juugo would never hurt her but when Sakura spoke he released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Juugo….could you give us a moment, please?" Sakura asked timidly, eyes casted downward.

The orange haired man gave a curt nod and walked back outside. He knew she probably felt insecure with three men around her and being so weak to defend herself she had to rely on her teammate; only he wasn't sure Sasuke could comply. He was not a bad person but he didn't know how to deal with his past. He took one last look at the cave and started to make his way down. He just hoped that he would, for Sakura's sake.

"Sasuke-kun…please, help me yourself. I used to treat you both back when we were genin, so please do this for me. I feel unsafe around your companions and I know you will not hurt me. However, this is not entirely a request but more like…payback. "

Sasuke could see that with each word she spoke, her cheeks became redder and she almost yelled the last part. She was too damn intense. The moment she finished, she blinked a few times, looking like she didn't believe she just say that out loud. He could understand what she meant and fairly agreed. She had cured his injuries not only when they were teammates but also after the fight with Madara. He remembered the faint feeling of her warm chakra flowing through his body reassuringly as she spoke to him words of courage to keep on living, to fight back…to return back home safe. He had felt her hot tears as they made tiny wet marks over his chest as she fought to keep herself together with so many of her comrades been attacked all around them. He even remembered the small smile she gave him when he had whispered her name once he had regained full movement and faintly touched her hand as a silent 'thank you'.

"Fine" he said at last, sighing. He didn't feel too comfortable with the idea of striping off her clothes but he was defiantly not letting anyone else do it. He could not let anyone else look at her like that. She had insisted it was him who helped her; that was the least he could do for her.

Sakura returned her gaze to his eyes once more, glad he had accepted her request. She gave him a small smile while she nodded.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She said softly. Sasuke could only manage to grunt in apparent annoyance as his eyes fixed on the grounds beneath them. He was allowing himself to be affected by her emotions. He had started to think of her needs before the fact that she was here. She had come looking for him for a reason and he intended to question her once she was better.

"I'll be right back" He said as he exited the cave looking for Juugo. He needed to inform him he would be helping her instead.

Once Sasuke was gone, Sakura closed her eyes, letting a small sigh leave her lips. She was so afraid he would say no and to be honest, she was surprised he had agreed at all. She had not seen that look in his eyes in a very long time. She had almost forgotten how beautiful his dark onyx eyes could look when they softened. He had stared at her and had made her feel cohabited by his pensive look.

She missed him.

She stared at the cave ceiling as she thought about the life at Konoha without him. She missed the strange grunt sound he made; she chuckled a little when she remembered there had been a time where she could recognize each emotion hidden behind the 'hn' he liked to use. She missed the fights he used to have with the blonde dumbass or how he closed his eyes while eating every time she cooked anything with tomatoes in it.

She missed him deeply.

She fought back the tears that had accumulated on her eyes; she had promised herself to not shed a tear for this man any longer. But the intense love she had once felt for him could not be placed aside so easily. She had cried herself to sleep wondering if he was well, if he was happy…if he ever thought about her at all.

When Sasuke entered the cave silently, he saw her troubled expression as she looked intently at the ceiling. He didn't make any sound as to not to disturb her, thinking she was dealing with the present situation; only when he sat next to her could he see a glimpse of her watery eyes.

"Why couldn't you stay?" she whispered, barely audible. It seemed as if she was speaking to herself more than to him.

He didn't answer. He couldn't. He had felt he needed to leave the past behind him and that included his once beloved family and friends, his brother, his house. He needed to get away to lift the sorrow of it all upon his heart. He had severed the bonds with all the people closest to him on the village; he couldn't expect them to just take him back.

Konoha was no longer his home.

Sakura turned her head to look into his eyes as he silently undid the bandages of her right arm to clean the dried blood underneath. He did not dare look at her. He was being gentle and careful with her hurting limbs as the unanswered question rounded both of their minds.

"I did not belong there." He spoke gently, washing her arm with care. The look of her purpled skin was hurting him for a reason he would rather deny. However, she didn't even flinch when he had to tear some of the cloth that was stuck on her elbow with his kunai. The pinkish fabric had seemed to have burnt into her skin from the several explosions during the fight.

"Konoha is your birth town, Sasuke-kun. You will always belong there, as long as you have people who care about you."

He was taken aback. He had not been expecting her to reply as he saw her eyes burning with unshed tears. She was still staring at the ceiling, stubbornly. His eyes softened when he realized just how much pain she had to endure because of him and how much stronger she seemed to have become because of that suffering. He was starting to see a very different side of her, one that was much less annoying.

He continued to remove her bandages in silence as she had closed her eyes. She had managed to keep her tears from falling freely down her face as she remembered her vow to keep herself focused. It was hard when he was opening slowly to her, but she did not want to push him. She had so many questions she wanted to ask…so many answers she needed from him.

She felt him tense next to her, his body rigid for a moment before she felt the zipper of her blouse been handled. Her eyes shot open at the contact naturally and looked for his eyes for comfort. Her face was contorted with worry only to be replaced with a faint blush over her pale cheeks.

Sasuke was not even looking at her. He had his face turned away from her but she could distinguish a faint blush on his handsome features. She chuckled faintly, causing him to react and look for her face as if asking for permission.

"You know, if you don't look you might pull the wrong way. It's okay, Sasuke-kun, I trust you" She said jokingly, trying to lift the burden from him as she smiled warmly at him. She had to; at least for now.

He complied silently, blushing still. She seemed to be having fun at his expense and he felt relieved she was not scared. He allowed himself to relax a little and pulled the rest of the zipper down. He had trouble because for some weird reason her zipper went to the right at the end of her shirt and he had to maneuver over her to be careful not to pull the fabric that was somehow adhered to her wounds.

He gulped inwardly. He had to admit at least to himself that the view of her black lace bra was amazing. Her small breasts were cupped perfectly inside it, perk and firm. Her belly was flat and her skin fair. She was looking to the side to avoid looking at him directly. He was able to see a small blush appear on her cheeks as she had started to be self-conscious. Flashbacks from his dreams started to appear on his mind as he exposed her front to his hungry eyes. He felt his body grow tense and looked away. The least she needed now was another pervert touching her inappropriately.

Once he had finished unzipping it he tore her ragged shirt from the neck to the sleeves so her shoulders were freed without having to move her. She protested but he silenced her immediately with a harsh look. The clothes were already burnt, missing complete chunks in some parts and were dirty as hell. He would have to get her new clothes soon, he thought annoyed as he tried to concentrate once more in the task at hand.

Once her torso was exposed he searched for her eyes, asking for permission to continue. She placed her hand on top of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. He was allowed to continue. He nodded silently as he started to cut down her skirt with his kunai, removing the cloth slowly until all that was left of her clothing was her black lace panties.

Too sexy for a mission, he thought as his eyes took in the beautiful body in front of him. It was perfect, even with all those bruises and scars. That proved she was a worthy warrior in his eyes. He had his own scars, which were proof of the many battles he had fought. Many were won; some were lost but fought fervently nonetheless.

"Why did you keep the scars? With your medical ninjutsu you could have just erased them." He thought out loud, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a particular large one that ran from her last rib down to her waist line. He realized he had spoken his thoughts when he heard her answer him.

"Because each of them has a story, a meaning; they remind me of the battles I had fought to become strong, the hardships I had to survive in order to be here." She said softly as she kept her eyes on the ceiling.

Sasuke slid his finger faintly over the scar, inwardly. The skin felt hard and the tone was slightly lighter than her skin. He wondered…

"That one was from the time I fought Sasori with Chiyo-sama. He had used that stupid poison gas and managed to cut me down. I was just about to die when I injected some of the poison in my leg to survive a little longer…I couldn't just give up. We needed to save Gaara and more importantly, I knew he could tell me where to find-" she stopped and immediately looked at his face.

"Me" he completed. He knew they had fought the Akatsuki to be able to learn his whereabouts…that was how they had managed to find the hideout, after all. His eyes never left the sight of her marked skin as he remembered he didn't believe she had killed Sasori only with the help of an old hag. That wasn't the Sakura he knew…but then again just how much of her did he really know?

He turned to her only to be met with her soft smile. "It hurt a lot…but it was worth it. We were able to find you."

"Hn" he turned back to washing her skin. He felt a small ping of guilt as he could see another new ones being added to her collection; 'Worth it, huh?' he thought as he stole a glance at her and narrowed his eyes slightly. She was smiling contently as she seemed to be lost in deep thought. He really didn't know what he had done to provoke such care in those two.

"Do you have any scars, Sasuke-kun?" she asked him, while he helped to turn so he could work on her back. He was taken aback for her silly question but he realized she was trying to maintain the flow of conversation. He remembered she had always been chatty but only when he saw that most of the back of her blouse was adhered to her skin did he understand. She was trying to distract herself from the pain to come.

"Of course I do." He stated simply. He needed to concentrate to be gentle. She was a ninja, she could take a little pain. But the back of her ribcage was horribly scarred. The claws from Juugo's monstrous hands had dug into her skin.

He sighed, in silent defeat. "I got most of them while fighting the Hachibi."

Sakura smiled as they kept their conversation simple and casual. She loved the sound of his voice as his calloused fingers worked on her offended flesh. She felt cared for, important to him, at least for now and she felt that familiar warmth that she had forgotten long ago.

Once he had finished cleaning her, he fixed her 'bed' so her upper body would be higher. She thanked him as a delicious smell made its way in from the woods and as if on cue, her stomach growled loudly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her and she just shrugged, blushing slightly.

"Here" he said as he stripped his shirt off. She couldn't help to stare as her brain turned off for a second. She regained control immediately only to feel relieved he was not looking her way. He helped her to put it on so she wouldn't hurt herself while moving so much and immediately went outside.

She felt her face hot as she was able to smell him slightly on the fabric around her. It was too big in her and the upper part was too high that he had to undo the zip a little.

When he came back, he was holding two small roasted fishes on his hands and handed one to her. She took it almost too eagerly as she felt her mouth water. She hadn't had anything to eat for almost two days. She was so hungry that he could have handed her only the stick and she wouldn't have complained at all. She hummed contentedly until his words almost made her choke.

"Now Sakura, tell me, why exactly… are you here?."

* * *

Woohooo! Another chapter! and this time it didn't take me that long. I hope you liked this chapter and please let me know what you think, Next chapter will explain a lot of things including Sakura's apparent weakness towards him.

So please review, that's how I know you are still reading this jeje...


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